Switch for street-railways



(No Model.)

J. SHAN'K.

SWITCH TOR STREET RATLWAYS.

No. 390,261. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.5

. JDHN sHNL.

NiTEnv STATES PATENT EErcE.

JOHN SHANK, OF LAS VEGAS, TERRITORY OF NEV MEXOO.

S\Nl'l'CHl FOR STREET- RAI LJVAYS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390.261I dated October 2,1888.

Application filed November 28, 1887. Serial No. 256,318. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SHANK, a citizen of the United States7 residing at Las Vegas, in the countyof San Miguel, Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Switches for Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to street-railway switches, and has for its object the provision of a suitable metallic base, and of switch-rails that are adapted to be shifted by the wheels of the ear,and which will automatically resume their normal position after the car has passed thereover.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure l is a plan of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention, the different positions of the switchrails being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation, ofthe switch-base.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I provide a base, A, preferably formed of cast metal, and form the same with end walls, A7 of greater thickness than the intermediate or web portion, A. This base is mounted upon suitable ties, B, and has formed in the end walls, A', thereof rail-end-receiving openings A3, which conform to the sha-pe in cross-section of the rail employed. By these means the rails, when in position upon the bases, are held rigidly thereon without the employment of extraneous devices.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, O C represent the rails of the main track, the ends of which terminate in the recesses A3 of the end wall, A, of the casting. That rail O of the main track which is mounted upon the switch-base and is opposite to the side at which the side track is located is rigid or fixed-that is, each of its ends terminates in the recesses A3 of the end walls of the base. The companion rail C'l forms a continuation of the right-hand rail to the main track, and is secured to the base at one end by bolts or spikes D". This rail is formed of steel and is resilient, it being prevented from being pressed inwardly by means of a stop, A4, chamfered at its front end, as at A5, said stop being preferably cast as a part of the base and the free end of the rail being normally held thereagainst.

D D represent the side track or rails, and they, like the maintrack Tails, terminate in the end walls of the base. The rail D is rigid with the base and in the same relation thereto and the rail D as is the rail C' and its rail C. The side track is also provided with a resilient movable rail, D2, pivoted at one end, as at D3, its free lend normally remaining against the rail C of the main track. A stop, A, chamfered, as at A7, at its rear end, is also formed upon the base A, so that the inward movement of the rail D2 is limited.

The operation of my invention is as follows: A car coming in upon the rails O O will enter upon the rails O C2, and the free end of the latter being so mounted upon the base as to lessen the space between the two rails at that point opposite the said free end, the flanges of the wheels of the car will wedge between the rails and force the rail C2 outwardly until it comes against the rail D, when the car will pass along on the main track. Upon the returntrip the car passes from the rails CX and D4 to the rails D and D2, and so out upon the side track. It is of course understood that after the wheels of the car have passed from the rail C2 it springs back to its normal position against the stop A1. It will also be understood that the rail D2 will yield or permit of being pressed outwardly against its stop A, to allow the passage of the lian ges of the wheels to pass along the rail C.

l. In a railway-switch, the combination, with a cast-metal base having end walls recessed to receive the ends of the rails of the side and main tracks and an intermediate web portion, of side and main track rails mounted on the base, one rail of each being fixed and its companion rail being formed of resilient steel and being movable,substantially as specified.

2. The integral cast-metal base having the thickened end walls, A', recessed as at A3,

and the reduced intermediate web portion, A, thrown into'and out of contact with said fixed ro and stops Al A thereon, in combination with rails, substantially as specified.

the main-track rails C C, the latter being In testimony whereof I affix my signature in movable, and the ixed and movable rails D' presence of two witnesses.

D2, substantially as specified.

3. The eornbinatiomwith the base A, of the I JOHN SHANK' rails G D and C and D4, terminating in the Vitnesses: n end Walls thereof, of the fixed rails C D', WALLACE HESSELDEN,

and movabie spring-rails Cz D2, adapted to be J. W. BARNEY. 

